Green Lantern, A new world, A New Legend
by ectojace195
Summary: Twenty five year old Jace Michaels goes through tragedy to come out a hero, a legend. He loses the world he knew only to be thrust into a world he'd only seen in the comic books. With a team of new allies and new Loves Jace uses the ailen ring and fights to protect his new world from an old enemy, action, romance, heart break. Original character, plus some other's from Dc Comics.
1. Chapter 1

Twenty five year old Jason Michaels, 'or Jace if you knew him' lived the average life of a college student. He went to class, had a part time job, and spent time with family and friends. To Jace, his friends and family are his world; he'd be nowhere if it wasn't for them. So you could imagine the pain it would cause if something were to topple his world.

This is the story on how Jace's world changed forever, and how he found a new one; an unbelievable one, one where his dreams become reality. This is how Jace became a hero, but at the cost of so much.

It started with the sound of static…

"Hmmm…," Jace stirred one morning, realizing that he had fallen asleep on his friends couch while reading one of his beloved graphic novels, "The Blackest Night," a tale of superheroes, and zombies. On the cover, in a green suit stood his all-time favorite hero, "The Green Lantern."

Jace pulled the book off of his face to see that the television was turned on but the only thing he saw was static. Hesitant to wake completely, he slid the book over his face and slowly dozed back off.

The night before, him and his friends were having their bi weekly geek out night, where they relive their childhood by reading comics, playing classic video games, and watching kung-fu movies in hope that they could imitate the moves on each other. Jace stuck to his vice that night and relaxed with the tales of Hal Jordan and his super powered friends, something he needed after a long week of examines. Once again he fell asleep imagining what it would be like to be an actual Green Lantern, but what he woke to was nothing like he could've imagined.

"Jace, wake up bro," said his best friend Cameron shaking him roughly. "Dude, you seriously need to get up."

Jace pulled down the comic book to find Cameron's dreadlocks dangling in his face. "Morning…what's going on?" He saw the look on Cameron's face and could already tell that something was the matter.

Cameron patted Jace's shoulder for him to sit up, after he had repositioned himself, the group of friends sat down on the couch beside him. Five men looked nervously as Cameron flipped through television channels, each one showing the same off air spectrum of colored bars.

"Something happened about an hour ago; the emergency broadcast channel came on and then went to static." Cam said, still flipping through the channels, switching over to the static networks. "We couldn't make out what they said, everything was too jumbled."

"The only thing we could make out was people yelling," Another friend shakily added sitting beside Jace, "then screaming." Jace watched how Sean's jaw trembled and it made him uneasy. The six foot six linebacker was shaking as if he was waiting for the end.

The twins, Nathan and Adam, just looked at each other commented, "I thought that was Sean." To which the other one laughed.

Jace shot up from the couch and quickly headed over to the phone; he picked up the receiver ready to here the dial tone but instead heard silence. "Cam, your phone is dead."

"Shouldn't be, just paid the bill. Who are you trying to call?"

"My parents, I need to make sure they're alright." Jace said pushing around scattered comic books on the dining table. "Has anyone seen my cell?"

Cameron picked up a phone from the coffee table and held it in the air, "you mean this one?"

Jace didn't even comment, he snatched the cell phone from his friends hand and quickly dialed his parents' number. "Shit," he exclaimed once the busy signal rang in his ear. "Nothing is getting through."

"Damn it guys, I don't like this," Sean said pacing the room, "stuff like this always happens in those disaster movies." Jace and Cameron exchanged concerning looks, neither of them could come up with a possible explanation that could calm them down.

"Listen," Jace sighed walking in front of the tv, "just sitting here is not going to do us any good. Now if we can't call anyone or find out anything from the TV, I suggest we head out and see if anyone might know something."

"Didn't you hear what we just said," Sean said pulling a flask from his jacket pocket, "Blood and screams, what doesn't that not tell you?"

Jace glared, "There could've been an accident and people could be hurt. But sitting here is not going to shed any light on this subject." The hazel-haired young man sighed while massaging his temple, "What if people we know are in trouble, what if our families are in trouble?"

That's all he had to say to get the others attention, Cameron and the twins picked themselves up and quickly headed for the door. The four stopped to look back at the biggest of the group still pacing behind the sofa, "What," Sean asked seeing how they were staring at him; eye brow's arched in question. After a few second, peer pressure gave in and he was dragging his feet to the front door.

Not knowing what to expect, Jace led them out over the threshold and into the storm. The Wind raged with the screams of hundreds of people running franticly through the street. A mob flowed through the street before them heading away from downtown.

"Man…I told you," panicked Sean.

Jace followed the line of people trying to figure from where or what they were running from, when his eyes locked onto the down town area his blood ran cold. "What…the…," a dark sly looked over the city. Miles of unnatural black storm clouds cast the town in shadows. Within the midst of the cloud bank a long jagged lines spread through the stratus forming cracks. In its center, the cracks widened showing what looked like an ominous purple light between them.

Cameron stood next to Jace, the two staring up at the darkened sky. "Bro," he said nudging Jace's arm, "what does that look like to you?" He pointed to the crack in the sky, it wasn't something in the clouds, more like a hole in space itself.

"That doesn't look good," said Jace. It looked to be a rip in the sky, a crack just large enough for something to fall through. And by the droves of people running away from it, it was obvious that whatever it is, it isn't all that inviting.

Without any warning or second thought Jace bolted for the sidewalk sprinting through mobs of people, his friends looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.

Cameron hollered, "Where are you going?"

Jace answered. "I need to check on my parents!" Luckily for Jace, running was one of his pastimes, and his parents place was only a few blocks away, the only down side it was in the same direction as the tear, and he had to go against waves of terrified people.

"Damn it," Cam sighed shaking his head, "we can't let him go off alone," then followed soon after. It didn't take long until all four of the boys were chasing after Jace on the route to the Michaels family home.

After fighting the storm of people, the gang made it to Jace's homestead, Jace flung open the front door leading the guys inside, "Mom, dad?" He called for his parents but no answer. The house was dark but there were faint signs that the electricity still worked. Jace grabbed the phone from the charger. "I'm trying my sister," he held the receiver to his ear hoping to hear something other than a busy signal, "she's a doctor, she might know something."

"Don't bother, we tried." Leaning against the archway separating the living room from the dining room was a couple, an elder man and woman both with lightly faded brown hair. The woman helped her husband to stand, a make shift sprint wrapped around his leg.

"Dad," Jace exclaimed running to his father, "are you okay, what happened?" He saw that his father was walking with a limp; he instantly put his arm around his father and helped him to his armchair.

Mr. Michaels fell back into the chair cringing from pain. "One of the days we decided to take a morning walk, it had to be today,"

"Your father and I were walking down the trail when things just started going crazy. The sky grew darker but there weren't any storm clouds-,"

"Mom, relax," Jace rest his hands on his mothers shoulders to calm her, "just tell me, what happened?"

"We were on the trail heading in the direction of town when the sunlight just…faded. It looked like a cloud bank just appeared out of nowhere; it blocked out the sun and darkened everything for miles around. Next thing we knew, we felt a strong gust of wind and what sounded like thunder, but no lightning."

"That's when that thing appeared," Jace's father added, "the tear…it just ripped into the sky."

"What happened next? Why is everyone leaving the city?"

"That's just it, we're not sure, and we stood there for a few minutes until we heard screaming then we got out of there." Mrs. Michaels kneeled next to her husband taking his hand, "We got a block away from the house when ran into the first mob of people fleeing. Your dad got trampled and sprained his ankle."

"I remember one thing," Jace's father closed his eyes, the images flaring in his mind, "just before the screams…I saw rain…black rain, coming from the tear."

Jace's eyes shot wide open, "Black rain…," something about that description clung to him, it seemed so familiar. Black skies, black rain, and people running for their lives, it was something he heard of before. Sooner than he could put the pieces together is trail of thought was distracted by a large "boom!"

"What the hell is that?" Jace asked.

Cam flung open the front door and ran out onto the porch, Jace and the others watched as his expression changed as he looked towards town. He turned back to his friends, terror planted on his face he said, "You should really take a look at this."

Jace hurried onto the porch and turned his attention towards the city, a larger cloud of smoke was slowly rising up from the center. The sounds of screams became louder s the mobs grew more rampant. People pushing others out of their way while leaving the stragglers behind to get trampled. It was chaos.

"This is bad," Said Cam resting his trembling hand on Jace's shoulder, "I think we should take this as a sign and get the hell out of here."

"He's right, you all need to get to safety," said Jace's mother gazing at her son from the doorway, the tears running down her eyes.

The four friends ran off the porch ready to penetrate the stream of escapee's, till Cameron stopped realizing that something was missing. "Jace, are you coming?" He looked back seeing Jace still standing on the same spot of the porch, staring at his mother.

"You guys go on." Jace tried to push pass his mother, "I have to help my dad," but he stopped, his mother's hand pressed firmly on his chest keeping him from crossing the threshold.

"No, Jace, you don't have time, you need to hurry," his father limped to the door, "go with the guys I'll be fine."

Jace saw the answer in front of him in his mother's tears. "You want me to leave you behind." He shook his head, denying it, "But-,"

"No buts, we'll be fine, but just in case…we want you to go."

"Listen to me, run, go with the others," His father swallowed everything he had as he raised his voice towards his son, "Damn it, I want you to run." Jace saw the tears cascading down his father's face,

"No, I'm not going to leave you two," he grabbed onto his mother's hand tight.

His mother took him by the shoulder. "Jace, honey, you are the most important thing to us," she cupped her sons face, letting the tears well, looking at him as if it was the last time they'd ever see him again, "we want you to be safe."

"Why can't you come with me?"

"I can't run anymore," his father wrapped his arm around his wives waist.

"And I won't leave your father. Damn it, we're your parents and you have to listen to us," he mother cried, "so run, get out of here!"

"Just be safe," his father said comforting his wife."

"I-I can't," tears well in Jace's eyes, "I don't want to!"

"Guys," his father looked to the guys standing behind him waiting, "Please."

"Sorry Jace," Cam said grabbing his friends arm, the others took jumped onto the porch grabbing their friend by his limbs lifting him off of his feet.

Jace thrashed around, trying to fight them off. "No, damn it guys, let me go!"He yelled fighting, finally Sean flipped him over his shoulder ending the struggle, "Mom! Dad!"

"We love you, baby boy," His mother sobbed.

Jace reached out his hand towards them, watching them fade from sight. "I'll come back for you, I promise!"

Minutes passed, the house and his parents were far out of view. Jace and the others ran unknowing where they're heading, they just kept with the direction of the swarm. "We want you to be safe…," the voices of Jace's parents echoed in his mind, the weight of their words slowing him down. Running turned to jogging, and while his speed decreased he got a truly better look at the world around him. Families and friends ran together to spite the chaos they were thrust in, no one was alone, no one left anyone behind.

In the middle of the stream of people he saw it, everyone was there, in it together and everyone was running. He pulled to the side out of the swarm watching as everyone blurred by, the last thing his mother said stuck in his head. "We love you."

Families, friends, people like him and his parents were in danger and unlike his parents who were protecting him, these people had no one to protect them. The message came clear to him, "I have to protect them."

Cameron looked back to see Jace in the distant, stopped. He led the guys back to their friend gasping as he took his best friends hand. "Jace? Don't stop now, he have to-," he was cut off as Jace flung his arms around him and Sean.

"I love you guys," Jace pulled the others in together, "I couldn't ask for better friends." Releasing his friends Jace stepped back wiping away a heavy tear.

Cameron approached his best friend with knowing in his eyes. "You're going back, aren't you?"

"Can you blame me?" Jace shrugged.

"I'm going with you, then."

Jace shook his head. "No, you have to go make sure your family is ok, you have to lead the guys out of here. I have to go help."

"Help, dude," Sean raised his voice through the screaming, "what are you talking about? You don't know what's back there!"

"And neither do you, but people might be in danger, and if there is some chance that me helping could end it sooner then I'm going to have to chance it."Jace then waved his friends on before he ran off in the opposite direction, not giving them a chance to argue it.

Cameron watched as Jace fought against the crowds. "You better come back alive!" he yelled fighting the tears that were building up.

Jace ran against the masses thinking. "I must be crazy, I must be crazy. Why now, why today, it was suppose to be just another day. Sleep in late, spend time with the guys, and then home to get ready for the next day. Why am I complaining?"

He looked around, the faces blurred by but not before he could see the frightened and worried expressions spread everywhere. Numerous innocents crying, running from their homes, it was then when a mother and her child ran by, a little boy burying his face in his mothers shoulder. Her husband followed behind her carrying a little girl, pour thing, couldn't be any older than five.

The moment they left his sight all fear left his body leaving him determined. "I have to do something," he said with a scowl, "I have to protect my family…I have to help, and then, once this is over…I can go home, where they're waiting."

He saw his family in his mind, all life flashing in front of his eyes. "Don't worry mom, dad, guys" he sighed, "I will be back for you."

Minutes later…Down town

The city was a ghost town, void of life, of sound, the complete opposite of its usual busy metropolis. Cars covered the streets for miles abandoned while some were in wrecks. Glass was shattered from car windshields, to building windows and lampposts. Altogether, it looked like a scene from a post apocalyptic movie.

Jace walked along Main Street with caution while searching for any form of life. But as quiet as things were he began to think his quest was in vane as most of the inhabitants must've fled long before he arrived. Though, the further he walked, Jace couldn't find any reason to abandon the city.

"This isn't eerie at all," he said sarcastically as his body shuddered from the ominous wind shooting up his spine. "A gunshot here or there and you have Detroit." Jokes aside, he continued further in.

Nearing ever closer to the center of the city he started to notice the damage increasing the closer he approached the tear. Passing a nearby ally, Jace stopped dead at the sight of a man laying face down in the gravel. "Hey buddy, are you okay?"

No answer.

"Hey," he called out again, this time running to the man's side, "come on buddy, you need to get up." He shook him but no answer still.

Jace knelt down, flipping the body over. "Come on, you need to-," the moment Jace got him on his back he forgot how to talk, the reason the man didn't responded to him was that the man was dead with blood pour down his chest. Jace looked down at the center of the unknown mans chest at the gaping hole where his heart should've been.

"What the hell," Jace exclaimed jumping back. "This can't be happening." He tried to look away but the carnage captured his attention. Jace slowly backed out of the ally as kept both eyes on the body until he got out into the middle of the street. "My god…," he said looking further down the road. "This isn't a ghost town, it's a grave yard." He slowly looked over yards of dead lying scattered throughout the streets. He saw blood, puddles, splatters, buildings and city busses painted in crimson, it looked like the aftermath of a war.

To spite the terrified beat of his heart, Jace continued down the street walking over blood, rubble, and the dead. He felt a lump in his throat gradually increasing with each body he passed; he heart sank lower, breaking with every lost life he found. At that rate, it didn't look as if there would be any one living left to help.

Just then as Jace thought things looked bleak enough, he heard a piercing screech echo from further into city. Swallowing his fear Jace picked up the pace and started towards the shriek, running over the blood splatters and carnage in the street. Growing closer he started to pick up different voices crying out, but in the matter of seconds the number of voices diminished. "Somebody help me!" He neared the corner where the screams resonated from, moving ever closer.

Jace rounded the corner and froze at the sight of a figure clad in all black standing atop a pile of mangled corpse. In his hand he held a smaller man dangling by his neck in the air. "Please, let me-," was the last words the man could choke out before he met his death by the black clad figures hand. The figure tore into the man's chest ripping out his still beating heart like it was nothing. The figure in black dropped the fresh corpse onto the mound and turned his focus towards his prize.

"Holy...,"Jace whispered trying to keep the bile from escaping his mouth, "…shit!" The figure jerked his head back at the sudden bit of noise. Jace evade it's stare by hiding around the corner; luckily it didn't stare directly at him.

Jace peered around the corner to see just what the hell he was up against. The figure was human or at least it use to be, it's skin resembled jerky, dry and thin clinging to its bones. Its eyes were empty sockets, hollowed pits with white rings that almost looked as if they could retinas. The creature looked more like the mummified remains of a man, a corpse, or a zombie.

He couldn't help but notice the design of his suit, specifically the icon on its chest, "It can't be, that symbol-," it was a white outline of a circle, inside an upside-down white triangle with five horizontal lines dropping down from the top rim. Jace reached into his back pocket and saw the same symbol on the cover of his comic book. "-a Black Lantern."

It was the same design that was on his beloved comic, the symbol of the black lanterns, regenerated dead brought back to feed on the hearts of the living. Jace knew that is was only able to be brought back to life with the aid of the black ring of death and gulped at the knowledge that like the other lantern rings there were usually more than one.

"I can smell it," the creatures head jerked some side to side searching, "fear…will…love…I can smell your heart!"

Jace ducked back behind the corner evading the Zombies stare while trying to think of what he should do. Unfortunately he didn't have much time to devise a plan when heard a pair of screams. He jumped up from behind his hiding place to see the figure moving towards a mother and daughter. The two were trapped against a truck and the wall it was crashed into. The little blonde girl buried her face in her mother bosom whimpering, "Mommy, I'm scared!"

The corpse slammed its fist into the side of the truck making both of them jump, "Oh, I know," it breathed in savoring the girls scent, "What a cute little…morsel." It laughed opening his jaw wide, only to get a chain lassoed around his head.

"And that, sweetheart, is why it's important not to talk to strangers," said Jace fighting to pull the zombie back. "They always have ulterior motives." With one strong pull Jack yanked on the chain and snapped the corps's jaw off.

"Go, get out of here!" Jace yelled pulling back the chain.

The mother picked up her child and turned to her hero. With a quivering lip she told him. "Thank you."

Jace nodded, readying his weapon, "No problem, just get to safety." As they ran, Jace stayed behind to hold the dead off.

It looked dead at Jace, "Will…,"it looked for the pallet of colors inside his heart only to find his aura glowing greed, "no...fear?" It gripped its decaying fist revealing a small circular object emitting black energy. It was its ring.

Jace stood his ground. "You're a black lantern…,"he said flinching from the rank scent of his breath, "…you're real."

The lantern swung its arm screaming, "You let my snack get away!"

Jace ducked tumbling back into the path the mother and child had fled on. Again, he kept his stance strong as he raised a finger to the black lantern. "I read all about you, I know what you want and your little feast ends here!"

The lantern licked the remnants of its last meal from its decade lips, "No…it's just been replaced!" The corpse lunged at Jace, its jaw hanging wide open ready to sink its teeth into living flesh, "Give me your heart!"

"No way, I know how you feed, and I'm not going to be afraid of you, my mother says my will is too strong."

The lantern glared, "But I'm stronger," his hand shot forward grabbing Jace by the neck and lifting him of the ground, "see!" With a strong thrust he threw the young man through a nearby store window.

The zombie made its way over to the large opening with victorious grin stretched out on its face, declaring, "Your heart is mine!"

Suddenly a strange sound broke the evil lanterns focus and drew him to look upwards. Faster than it could blink, a green ball of light, just a little larger than a fire fly shot down and into the wreckage of the downtown Macy's and disappeared into the rubble. The Lanterns eye's shot open as the debris began to shift allowing for a brilliant jade-like aura to radiate inside the building.

In the midst of the remains of the display window a human form stood with the source gleaming from its hand. "Sorry, you're not my type," Jace quipped, shaking off the dust and glass like it was nothing, "I prefer girls, and ones with a pulse."

"No…no…this can't be happening!" The black lantern yelled clutching its fist.

"Guess you're not as strong as you think! Now-,"Jace charged out of the crater in a green burst of light with his fist cocked back, "-get off my planet!" he shot his fist forward but instead of making contact with his fist, from his hand a green orb of bright light shot out and blasted the black lantern into the side of a bank building.

"No…way," Jace looked at his reflection in a nearby car window. His body was covered from neck to toe in black and green material, his hands in feet in white with an adorning green aura. He brought his gloved hand over his chest, over a symbol he's seen only in comic books, a lined outline of a lantern, a green lantern. Then on that hand, he saw the source of the green light, held up the green ring in astonishment. "I'm a green lantern…I'm a real green lantern!"

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

"No…way," Jace looked at his reflection in a nearby car window. His body was covered from neck to toe in black and green material, his hands in feet in white with an adorning green aura. He brought his gloved hand over his chest, over a symbol he's seen only in comic books, a lined outline of a lantern, a green lantern. Then on that hand, he saw the source of the green light, held up the green ring in astonishment. "I'm a green lantern…I'm a real green lantern!"

Jace balled is hand tapping into the power of the ring, and took into the sky with ease leaving a green aura trail behind him. As of any comic book lovers, it was a dream come true, the powers, the suit, to be a superhero, it had to be just that, a dream. Tempting his fate, Jace pinched the black and green fabric covering his arm automatic feeling the sting. "I'm awake!" He laughed.

His joy was short lived as he caught sight of his home town in ruins, clouds of smoke poured out of buildings as bodies laid everywhere, his home turned into an apocalyptic warzone. The battle was one-sided with the dead over numbering the living, yet there was barely any living to be seen, and those left fleeing for their lives.

"Somebody, please help!"Jace heard the cry and zeroed in on the mother and child he had helped prior to receiving the ring, once again Black Lanterns were chasing after them.

He took a deep breath as he noticed the number of lanterns spread throughout the city, realizing, "I'm the only green lantern, and against…them." The scream of a little girl drew his attention back towards her and her mother just in time to see them cornered by charging dead.

"Shit!" Jace exclaimed as he shot down in front of the Lanterns cutting them off from their meal. Jace slammed down onto the pavement forming a shield of green energy protecting the mother and her child from the cannibalistic dead.

The little girl pulled her face out of her mother's bosom to see who it was protecting her from the zombies. "Wow…," she breathed in amazement at the sight of a green lantern shielding her and her mother against the growing number of undead.

Jace stood his ground as more and more black lanterns pressed against the shield, "Stay…away…from…them!" He poured power into the ring, building up its energy until, "Gah!" he shot the lanterns back with a green energy blast.

Wasting no time, Jace turned toward the shopping mall and blew a hole through the brick, just large enough for someone to climb through. He turned back kneeling in front of the little girl who was still in awe at her hero's appearance. Patting her on the head he told her calmly, "Lead your mommy to safety. Can you do that for me?"

The girl raised her hand in salute, "Yes sir!" Surprisingly Jace was able to crack a smile as he watched the child lead her mother through the building.

The sounds of moans and groans pulled him back to the current situation, and the smile off his face. Jace held up his ring towards the Black clad zombies, and with anger in his eyes he shouted. "Let me show you what happens when you try to attack children in my town!"

Green light shined covering his arm forming a duel barrel Gatling gun, emerald bullets started to fly tearing down the black lanterns. With each one he took down another would take its place, while the fallen slowly regenerated. Jace former another machine gun and took to the air letting the barrage of bullets fall onto the undead hordes.

"Stay down!" He yelled ripping apart a small group of lanterns, bullets colliding with the black lantern rings causing them to shatter on impact. Jace then noticed that once the rings were destroyed, the lanterns fell turning them back into the pain dead they once were. "Hit the rings…got to hit the rings," he chanted aiming for the somber lights emitting from their hands.

The numbers dwindling, Jace dropped the firearms and switch to other weapons, forming a pair of swords to which he began hacking away at the enemy forces. He tried slicing them into to pieces in hope that it'd slow them down just a little so he could smash all their rings, but no such luck. The Lanterns began to pull themselves together slowly crawling towards him.

The first of the Lanterns able to pull himself together, limped its way towards Jace searching his aura, "Will…," Unlike before a second hue was mixed into his aura, the color blue, "hope…what hope do you have?" The corpse questioned his newly found optimism.

Jace dropped his swords and held up his ring, "After this, I can only hope," he fell to a knee he formed a rocket launcher aimed at the enemy Lantern, he yelled declaring, "I hope to rip all of you apart!" The rocket flew into the chest of the black lantern blowing him into the next state.

The construct faded away just as Jace's other knee hit the pavement, he hunched over from exhaustion. "I need help…please…someone…get her soon." He breathed heavily, "I'm running out of power." The light of his ring started to flash, warning him that the green energy was running low.

A blue blur shot down in front of him and found its way to his opposite ring finger. "Is this…," he looked down on another lantern ring similar in shape to his green ring but with a different color and symbol. It was the symbol of the Blue Lantern Corps.

Jace watched the green tint of his left arm started to fade into blue as the new power began to surge through his being."It's official, I'm not dreaming," he said forming a bigger sword, "Woo!"

Out of the smoke and dust, a group of black lanterns charged towards Jace, half of them one he's blown up before, yet, still regenerating. The leader, the first BL he'd faced raised its shattered stump of an arm at the Green lantern growling, "This world was supposed to be free of the other rings! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Standing his ground, Jace pointed the tip of his Blue sword at the lead Zombie. "I'm Jace Michaels, Green Lantern of Earth." He pulled the blade back taking grabbing the handle with both hands. "And I will protect my planet!" He swung his weapon through their torsos separating them from their lower-halves.

"All lanterns...stop him!" The boss lantern yelled trying to put itself back together.

Jace again swung the weapon down on its head splitting his melon. "Well…now that I got their attention, what do I do now?" He took to flight, trying to put space between him and the Black Lanterns.

In mid air he could see the other Lanterns chasing after, but that wasn't the only thing he could see, off in the distance a brilliant green light glistened from half a mile away. He scrounged enough energy from his green ring to construct a small spyglass, with it he could see far enough to see the source of the green light, "a lantern battery…," He said shooting off towards the lantern shaped power source.

With the combined power of his rings 'even with what little power remained in his green ring' Jace was able to evade the Black Lanterns just long enough to reach the building the battery had crashed into. With a deep breath he grasped the handle and pulled the Lantern from the rubble, excitement built in his heart as he held his ring up to the glowing green light. "Good thing I know this by heart," he said readying himself, "I can't believe this is really happening."

Jace closed his eyes in focus, held his arm and Lantern out and strongly he said, "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those who worships evil's might beware my power-,"his eyes popped open with green energy, "-green lanterns light!"

The lantern shined like a beacon feeding the power into his ring and restoring his power of will. Jace was amazed by how bright his aura was,, by how much power he had gained. "Tingly…," he said with a grin, "I like it!"

Like a beacon, it drew the attention of the undead lanterns, so much attention he heard one of them shout, "Destroy the green one!"

"I sooooo did not like the sound of that," Jace looked down at the growing number of Lanterns flying his way, "or that!" He formed a chain around the battery handle and tossed it around his shoulder before talking off into the maze of buildings. Damn…I can't keep finding placed to recharge all the time, sooner or later they'll get me. Look at me, already talking like it's over," he paused, "look at me talking to myself."

Jace readied to turn a corner, but found a squad of Black lanterns blocking his path. He jolted back in the opposite direction, "shit!" he exclaimed, Black lanterns cornered him from all sides, the only way he could go was up. "Double shit!" Jace discovered that he had flown under the crack in the sky. He spiraled upward seeing the waves of black lanterns closing in, there was no way to escape.

He turned up the power turning him into a flare for all of the undead would see, he screamed out at the top of his voice, "That's it you heart biting bastards, if you want me then try and keep up!" He flew at high speed towards the tear putting just enough distance between him and the dead. He could feel the fear going inside but he fought to ignore it. "No more running," he stopped and turned with the rip to his back. He held out his arms and with his rings formed an arsenal of machine guns, turrets, rocket launchers and cannons, hoping that there was truth to the phrase 'overkill.'

"Who's hungry?" He yelled as he unloading everything he had down on the swarm below. Within the first few rounds he'd cut their numbers in half yet some still pushed through the gunfire nearing their goal, him. Jace felt himself being pressed closer to the rip, gritting his teeth he yelled, "I cannot die on my first day as a green lantern!"

"And you not gonna!"

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

"Who's hungry?" He yelled as he unloading everything he had down on the swarm below. Within the first few rounds he'd cut their numbers in half yet some still pushed through the gunfire nearing their goal, him. Jace felt himself being pressed closer to the rip, gritting his teeth he yelled, "I cannot die on my first day as a green lantern!"

"And you're not gonna," Jace looked to find another body dressed in green floating beside him, his lantern ring aimed towards the oncoming swarm of dead. "Divide and conquer!" He yelled flying through the hordes followed by several other bursts of green aura flying from inside the tear. Each was a green lantern, like him yet different in style, race, and age. Each of the four constructed shields from their rings and plowed through the Black Lantern's heading towards the street.

Jace followed their lead and made a large cowcatcher which he used to bush his way through to the ground and next to the lead GL.

They dressed in the same attire but it was clear the man was older, still with the light brown hair he could've been in his mid thirties. "Good thing we fallowed that lantern," he said keeping his ring aimed, "got here just in time I'd say."

Jace stood back to back with the Green Lantern, "Where'd you guys come from?"

"Our world," he said shooting down Black Lanterns left to right, "that thing in the sky is a dimensional rift, a rip in reality that links your world to ours. The Black Lanterns somehow found the way to open one up."

"By the way, the name's Hal, what's yours?" The Lantern introduced himself.

"My name is- wait," Jace paused getting a better look at the Green Lantern standing next to him. "Hal, Hal Jordan?" He asked recognizing the famed comic book character in the flesh.

Hal cocked his brow between burst, "How'd you-,"

Jace cut him off as he recognized the several other lanterns "Then that's John Stewart, Guy Gardener, and-," he paused as another of his favorite Lantern flew past, "-Kyle Rayner!"

"How'd you-," Hal began to ask, Jace cut him off again.

"It's been a crazy day," Jace interrupted again, "no time to explain." He held back the fan-boy excitement that was building inside him, enough to keep his mind on the tasks at hand. Blowing away the lanterns while still back to back, Jace quickly turned presenting a hand, "Jason, my name is Jason Michaels but you can call me Jace."

Hal quickly spun back and grabbed his hand firmly, "Nice to meet you," and with a tired mile he said, "Welcome to the core."

"Thanks, it's a real honor," he shot down two more lanterns coming from behind Jordan before spinning back around to his side, "now how do we stop them?"

"Their battery, we need to find it and destroy it," Hal took down the remaining three lanterns, "after that they'll stop."

The swarm of Lanterns they'd been fighting had slowly been disbanded, leaving some time for the two Lanterns to take a breath. "But isn't the battery supposed to be some huge monument like structure?" Hal gave Jace another surprised look to which he responded by, "I read," and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Um…no, that's the central core, the battery would be the same size as yours, maybe even a bit bigger." Hal took a needed breath, "What time did this all start?"

"About five hours ago, since then everyone has been fleeing the city, if the battery is here it should be in the central of the town."

"How do you figure?"

"More dead here, and no living," Jace zoomed over the area, concern showing firmly on his face, "it's got to be close."

Hal brought up his ring to his face and contacted the rest of the lanterns, "Team, we need to gather in the center of the city, we've got to find that battery," he looked back to the newest Lantern, "ok recruit, this is your world, I'm going to need your help. Where would the center of the city be?"

"Monument circle, it's the center of the city, and of the state."

"After you then," Hal let Jace take lead. The two flew through the city taking down stragglers as they went, during so, Hal decided to get to know his new partner. "Jace, tell me something, how were you able to fight them off for so long?"

Jace formed a blue lance from his left hand letting the ring speak for itself, "It came to me when I was running low on power. That was before I found my green battery."

"You're full of surprises," Hal chuckled.

Jace looked at the blinking light from his blue ring, he knew what it foretold, "The ring is losing power, and I haven't found the battery,"

"Concentrate, you can locate it with the ring." Hal hollered coming to his side, "Just scan the area until you pick up a trace."

Holing out his ring Jace did as the veteran lantern said. A blue light shown like a spot light on the buildings sensing the missing battery. He held it towards a nearby parking garage, "There," the light grew brighter as it zeroed in on the Blue Lantern battery crashed down through the roof.

"Go get it, I'll back you up."

Jace bolted towards the battery while Hal followed after closely, "Look out," shouted Jordan as a Black Lanterns flew into their path, separating them from the blue power.

With the blue battery almost in sight, Jace increased speed shooting towards the enemy. He looked back giving Hal a look of confidence, yelling, "Jordan, batter up," right as he neared the BL Jace dropped down making way for Hal and a giant green baseball bat, "and the pitch-," Jordan swung smacking the enemy lantern through four major buildings, "And it's out of there!"

The two Green Lanterns landed into the miniature crater finding the battery untouched, "Strong little thing isn't it." Hal joked lifted it out of the debris. "They make these things to last." He handed over to Jace watching take his time with the battery. "What's wrong?"

Jace looked embarrassed. "I can't remember the oath."

His honestly made Hal chuckle, "Relax," he said, "focus on you hope and it will come to you."

His hope, it wasn't that hard for Jace to focus on that, he could vision him running through the front door of his family home, and finding his parents waiting for him safe and sound. "In fearful day, in raging night, with strong heart full, our souls ignite." His eyes slowly opened, the blue lantern symbol covering his retina, "When all seems lost in the war of light, look to the star, for hope burns bright!" In a bright flash of azure light Jace's ring was charged, fueling his body with the energy of pure hope.

Hal placed his hand on Jace's shoulder as the new lantern admired the glow of his rings. Both of them shined radiantly. "When a blue lantern ring is in the vicinity of a green lantern ring it will be able to unlock its full potential." Hal tapped on the blue ring. "You having this will tilt the scales in your favor."

"Hal, come in," a deep voice came out of the rings.

"This is Jordan, what do you got John?"

"Located the Black Lantern battery and it's almost operational, we need you and the _Rook_ over here as quick as possible." Jace's eyebrow shot up at John Stewarts calling him "Rook."

Hal smirked at the 'Rooks' expression, "we're on our way."

"Rook?" Jace inquired hovering.

"It doesn't stick with you as long as you think," Hal ensured him. "Come on, we need to meet up with the guys and end this."

Jace sighed as they took flight, "the sooner the better."


	4. Chapter 4

Flying overhead, Jace and Hal looked down at the hellish reality of Jace's home town. The black lanterns had turned his city into warzone. Their victim's, those who they haven't converted, lay discarded in the streets painting the roads in crimson. It was enough to make Jace's stomach churn.

"Just try to relax, Jace," the senior lantern said noticing Jace's grimace, "it's important to keep a clear head during situations like this. Try and think about the ones who got out of the city, it's them that still need saving. If you need to think about something to keep you focused, then try thinking about them."

Jace sighed, "I've been focused, Hal," he looked out in the direction of his parents home, "they're all I've been thinking about."

Hal could read him like an open book, "it's your family."

"Not that far from the city, my folks, my sister and her husband live just a mile away, they have a little boy, my nephew. They've been my motivation through it all. I just want this to be over so I can go home to them. They're why I'm here, why the ring came to me; I wanted to do something so this could end." His emotions fed his green aura making him shine, "I have to save them."

Hal few next to him placing a glowing hand on Jace's shoulder. "We need more lanterns like you, ones with more heart instead of ego." That got a smile on the recruits face. "Come on, I can see the others now."

The two sped towards three black and green figures standing atop the roof of a nearby office building. Not a single one did anything to conceal themselves, standing out in the open they shined a beacon for their fellow lanterns to follow. Approaching the edge of the skyscraper Jace kept an eye out for the Black lanterns out of precaution.

They descended down onto the roof a short ways from the allied lanterns, Jace stood in awe at the three standing before him waiting. Three lanterns stood waiting; one impatiently taping his foot, "What took you so long Jordan?" asked Guy. The red-haired lantern cocked a brow at the lantern standing besides Hal, "is this the package?"

Hal nodded, "this is Jace. Jace I want you to meet the team." But before he could introduce them Jace stepped forward shaking each lanterns hand calling them by name.

"Mr. Stewart, Gardner, Rayner, It's an honor to meet all of you." He said shaking Kyle's hand vigorously, the fan boy inside him gushing at the moment, "One hell of an honor."

While Guy loved the respect the other two lanterns were somewhat confused since this was their first meeting. "Uh…thank you," Kyle laughed, "but, how'd you-,"

"It's a long story I guess," Hal shrugged in the back. "But for now we have to get back to work. Where's the black battery?"

Guy nodded toward the other side of the building. "It's that way, and not that hard to miss, hundreds of BL's are swarming over it like stink on shit."

"If you ask me they're beginning they're charging faze," John added, "that means if we don't hurry then we'll have Black rings flying all around the planet. If we're going to hit it, we have to do it now."

"Maybe the newbie should sit this one out; it's been kinda hectic around here," Guy added.

Hal opened his mouth ready to speak before Jace stepped forward. "This is my home town, and if anyone is going to protect it it's going to be me," what Guy said struck a nerve, "I don't know what you call hectic Guy, but I've been fighting these things off for the pass few hours and by myself, with these two rings." He got in the red-haired lanterns face, "Maybe you're the one who should take a breather, you're looking kinda winded."

From what Jace had read in the comics he thought would respond with his attitude, instead Guy surprised him by putting his arm around him, playfully laughing. "He's got spunk, I'll give him that," he then gave Jace a strong pat on the back leaving a stinging sensation throbbing throughout his backside.

"He's determined," John grinned at Jace's _spunk_, "Good job holding them off for this long, Rook."

To spite the new nickname, Jace couldn't help but feel amazed to be complimented by the senior lantern. "Thank you Mr. Stewart."

"It's John," he said patting him on the shoulder, "I think you've earned that much."

Jace's head should've been as big as Gardner's with all the praise he was receiving but instead he looked like he was just kicked in the gut. Hal waved a hand in front of the new lanterns face, "Jace, you ok?"

The lantern broke away from his hero's and approached the ledge. "Monument circle," Jace glared at the once proud memorial, the colonial statue laid in the debris below as large ominous black lantern sat on its pedestal, "they've turned it into their central battery." He cringed at the sight.

John walked towards the ledge to see the sight of ruin, "That's un-American," he said with disgust, "We have to destroy it before they're done gathering energy, If we don't the dead will rise not just here, but everywhere."

"Quite a heavy number guarding it," Kyle nodded towards the surrounding swarms of Black Lanterns bunching into the circle, "what do you think? A couple hundred, maybe three?"

Guy looked out over the ledge grimly holding a flickering power ring, "We might need to recharge before we strike. My ring is running on empty. And us without a battery of our own,"

"Funny that you mention that," Jace pulled out the Green Lantern battery from behind his back, "Never leave home without it."

The senior Lanterns exchanged approving looks about the new Lantern as the gathered around him. With Jace in the middle, they stood shoulder to shoulder, rings aimed towards the center of the battery in preparation to recite the oath. Hal placed his free hand on the newest Lantern's shoulder, telling him, "Your lantern, you start us off."

Jace tried his best to appear serious but the excitement was too much to withhold as a grin cracked on his face. He was standing in the center of a lineup of his all-time favorite heroes, and to add to it, he was one of them. The only thing that kept him from lofting around on cloud nine was the thought of his family, that vision alone pushed back the excitement as he took a breath. "In Brightest day-,"

The others joined in, their bodies radiating green aura's, "-in blackest night, no evil shall escape our sight, let those who worships evils might, beware out power, Green lanterns light!" The battery erupted with green light infusing the five with its power. Jace flung the battery back over his shoulder and led the others into the air towards the enemy.


End file.
